Premier League

Over at the Peninsula District baseball message board at HRVarsity.com, they still are talking about last week's 5-4 Menchville victory over Bethel. There, poster king of all kings gives one view: "I knew this would be a close contest. Both teams have good talent but I would have to give a slight edge to Menchville. There is no comparison with regards to coaching and Bethel had a huge advantage. That is why the score was so close. "Carter should have transferred to York with Ingram rather than join the Menchville bandwagon.

JAMES CITY - The Virginia Legacy Soccer Club announced last week that it will join the National Premier Soccer League as an expansion team. Some time this fall the club will invite fans to pick a team nickname and, who knows, can a furry Muppet-like mascot to fire up younger fans be far behind? Bobby O'Brien, Legacy's executive director, said the club is in the process of developing marketing ideas to draw fans for the NPSL debut in May 2014. Once there, he believes they'll like what they see. "This is the fourth tier of soccer in the United States," O'Brien said.

Former Old Dominion post player Reggie Bassette competed effectively this past season in Israel, where he averaged 14.3 points and 26.8 minutes per game for a Maccabi Givat Shmuel team that finished 10-12 in the Premier League. Bassette was one of the league's best percentage shooters, hitting 53.7 percent (95 of 177), though he was just 5 of 15 from behind the 3-point arc. He shot 67.6 percent (48 of 71) from the free-throw line, grabbed 6.4 rebounds per game and blocked a team-best 20 shots in 17 games.

William and Mary's Lauren Gough scored twice and Tabb High's Sydney Omweg once to help the Tidewater Sharks (2-0-1) defeat New York AC 3-2 in their Women's Premier Soccer League home opener at Cooley Field. ... David Bulow scored on Chris Agorsor's assist in the final minutes to give the Richmond Kickers (4-2-5) a 1-0 USL Pro home win over the Charlotte Eagles at City Stadium. ... In the Premier Development League, the Virginia Beach Piranhas lost 3-0 to the West Virginia Chaos in Charleston as Dion Peters scored twice.

If March Madness has a face, it is Dick Vitale's. He's nearly bald, he's smiling, he's loud - and most of all, he's hyper. Vitale, the famous college basketball hypemaster for ESPN and ABC, will get a workout this weekend at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, when he watches players get up, slam 'n jam, drain the 3, pick and roll, get it outta here, get pumped, and take a TO, bay-bee. And then, at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, will come the really exciting part -the NCAA Tournament selection show.

Rich, NN: Just calling about the July 23 music section. I thought they did a great job. But I think they skipped a lot of things, like the death of reggae legend Desmond Decker, the New York Dolls putting out their first studio album in 30 years or that Thom Yorke from Radiohead just put out a solo album. I think that deserves mentioning. Editor: Music Quarterly just doesn't have space for everything. But here's a more detailed response from Features Editor Dan Montgomery and his staff, who sound jealous of your music collection: We agree that those were all worthy events (except that the first two, especially, probably wouldn't mean much to most mainstream readers.

Rewinding the week that was, in which Kobe Bryant ripped Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak (and later was seen buying a $4- million diamond ring), Tiger Woods and Jeff Gordon became daddies (will Jeff put a "Baby on Board" sticker on the 24 car?), and Pacman Jones ... well, you know where this one is going. SAMMY SOSA HITS HOME RUN NO. 600 As he pranced around the bases and posed for the fans, we couldn't help thinking: Put a cork in it. BYU TRACK RUNNER CLEANS PEDESTRIAN Brigham Young track standout Kyle Perry allegedly struck a man with a mop (yes, a mop)

Two Williamsburg Soccer Club teams are counting down the days until taking off on the experience of their lives. Next Wednesday, 15 players for the U-13 Arsenal and 13 more for the U-13 Spurs will lift off on a 12-day trip to London, where they're scheduled to play games against highly regarded English youth soccer teams. Players, their accompanying parents and coaches also will have the opportunity to go on sightseeing tours to such historic places as Wembley Stadium, the Tower of London and Canterbury Cathedral.

Peninsula Pilots co-owners Henry Morgan and Dave Dittman, both Hampton residents, provided an idea of just what the team and the Coastal Plain League are all about Thursday night following an exhibition game against Apprentice School. The team may be a work in progress, much like War Memorial Stadium (which has gotten a fresh coat of paint, a patio area, a picnic area along the third-base line and a refurbished press box among other added features), but Morgan and Dittman are optimistic about the future.

Not many soccer goalkeepers can say they took part in a victory against a team from the English Premier League, one of the best circuits in the world. But former Old Dominion standout Evan Newton of Virginia Beach can. Playing on loan to FC Tampa Bay of the North American Soccer League, he entered the game in the second half, made six saves and completed a 1-0 victory by the NASL squad before 3,914 in Tampa, Fla. Newton was chosen by the Houston Dynamo in the first round of this year's Major League Soccer supplemental draft in January.

BASEBALL Pilots prevail in Edenton Matt Little pitched a complete-game four-hitter, striking out eight, to lead the Peninsula Pilots to a 6-2 victory at Edenton in the Coastal Plain League. Greg Rohan had three hits, including a homer, scored twice and drove in two for the Pilots, while Jake McAloose homered and scored three times. ... In the International League, Jonathan Van Every homered off Jim Miller in the 10th inning and Pawtucket held on to beat the Norfolk Tides 2-1 before 8,784 at Harbor Park.

Reggie Bassette, 30, a post player from 1995-99 at Old Dominion, came off right knee surgery in February 2007 to play well in his latest stop on a basketball journey that has sent him to several countries. He averaged team highs of 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in 14 contests for Zalakeramia (ZTE) in Hungary's top professional league. He shot 60 percent (89-for-148) from the floor and 58 percent (38-of-65) from the free-throw line as ZTE finished 10-16 for 11th place in the 14-team league.

Over at the Peninsula District baseball message board at HRVarsity.com, they still are talking about last week's 5-4 Menchville victory over Bethel. There, poster king of all kings gives one view: "I knew this would be a close contest. Both teams have good talent but I would have to give a slight edge to Menchville. There is no comparison with regards to coaching and Bethel had a huge advantage. That is why the score was so close. "Carter should have transferred to York with Ingram rather than join the Menchville bandwagon.

Rewinding the week that was, in which Kobe Bryant ripped Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak (and later was seen buying a $4- million diamond ring), Tiger Woods and Jeff Gordon became daddies (will Jeff put a "Baby on Board" sticker on the 24 car?), and Pacman Jones ... well, you know where this one is going. SAMMY SOSA HITS HOME RUN NO. 600 As he pranced around the bases and posed for the fans, we couldn't help thinking: Put a cork in it. BYU TRACK RUNNER CLEANS PEDESTRIAN Brigham Young track standout Kyle Perry allegedly struck a man with a mop (yes, a mop)

Rich, NN: Just calling about the July 23 music section. I thought they did a great job. But I think they skipped a lot of things, like the death of reggae legend Desmond Decker, the New York Dolls putting out their first studio album in 30 years or that Thom Yorke from Radiohead just put out a solo album. I think that deserves mentioning. Editor: Music Quarterly just doesn't have space for everything. But here's a more detailed response from Features Editor Dan Montgomery and his staff, who sound jealous of your music collection: We agree that those were all worthy events (except that the first two, especially, probably wouldn't mean much to most mainstream readers.

BASEBALL Pilots prevail in Edenton Matt Little pitched a complete-game four-hitter, striking out eight, to lead the Peninsula Pilots to a 6-2 victory at Edenton in the Coastal Plain League. Greg Rohan had three hits, including a homer, scored twice and drove in two for the Pilots, while Jake McAloose homered and scored three times. ... In the International League, Jonathan Van Every homered off Jim Miller in the 10th inning and Pawtucket held on to beat the Norfolk Tides 2-1 before 8,784 at Harbor Park.